Contents gauge for milk tanks



C. A. DE GIERs CONTENTS GAUGE TOR MILK TANxs July 31, 1951 3 Sheetsf-Sheet l Filed June 19, 1948 JNVENTOR. DLA REA/UE A175 57E/T5- d/f M ATTJENE'Y July 3l, 1951 c. A. DE GlERs CONTENTS GAUGE FOR MILK TANKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filedv June 19, 1948- INVENTOR.

ATTUHNEY 1 July 3l, 1951 C. A. DE GIERS CONTENTS GAUGE' FOR MILK TANKS Filed June 19, 1948 if Sheets-Sheet 3 VENTOR. ULA Rig/VUE A175 E/EH5 ATTf/ENEY W Patented July 3l, 1 951 CONTENTS GAUGE FOR :MILK TANKS Clarence A. de Giers, Forest Hills,'N. Y., lassignor to The Liquidometer Corporation, Long-Island City, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 19, 194s, serial No. 34,089

y s claims. (cms-.317)

This invention pertains to an instrument adapted for mounting on a tank containing liquid in the tank, and is an improvement on the indicator disclosed in de Giers Patent No. 1,945,736.

An object of the invention is to provide a gauge particularly adapted for use on tanks containing milk.

A specific object is to provide a oat arm gauge which may be readily disassembled and reassembled by hand for cleaning, in which the reassembly operation is foolproof, and in which the parts will properly align themselves when the float arm is placed on its pivot.

To comply with strict sanitary regulations, the indicator driving mechanism within the tank is completely enclosed in a cylindrical housing having a smooth exterior and therefore adapted to be easily cleaned.

The housing is mounted on a horizontal axis. A float arm is pivoted on the same axis but outside the housing. The hub of the float arm is provided with a p-air of radially projecting armatures of magnetic material.

Mounted on the axis within the housing are two permanent magnets, one corresponding to each armature, with the result that any movement of the float arm about its axis transmits the same degree of rotation to the magnets within the housing, and that movement of the magnets serves to actuate the pointer of the indicator, all as will appear.

Of course, if desired, the positions of magnets and armatures may be reversed, with the magnets on the float arm and the armatures within the housing.

Although two magnetic circuits are illustrated, it is possible, if desired, to use only a single circuit, or more than two circuits. l

The housing, float and arm require no service other than cleaning when the tank is being cleaned.

Further and other objects will be apparent from the specification and claims, and from the accompanying drawings which illustrate what is now considered the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an over-all view of the device installed on a tank;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the device shown in Fig. 1 with the indicator portion in cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a View on line 5--5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view on line 5-$ of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the tank 25 contains liquid 22 on which rests a float 24 on the free end of an arm-25, whereby as the level of the float changes, the volume of liquid will be indicated by the pointer 28 on anappropriately graduated chart 35 in indicator 32 (Figs. 1 and 2), as in the above mentioned patent.

The present invention relates to the means, which will now be described, for transmitting the movement of the float to the indicator.

The transmitter (Figs. 2 and 3), comprises a fluid-tight drum 34 having front and rear heads 36 and 38 respectively. y

A rotatable Ashaft 40 is supported axially inv drum 34 by bearings 42 and 44 (Figs. 3 and 5).

Keyed on shaft 45 by pin '46 (Fig. 3) is a hub 48 to which are bolted a pair of at'radial arms` 50and on each of those arms is mounted, by a clamp 5l, a permanent horseshoe magnet 52 with its poles 54 close to front head 36 of drum 34.

On front head 36, in axial alignment with shaft 40, is a cylindrical boss 5S carrying a freely rotatable vhub 58 on which is secured a pair of aligned, radially projecting arms 6U and 62 of magnetic material. arms to hub 58. Arm 62 has an axial projection 68 to which float arm 2t is attached. The magnetic arms and 62 are preferably flattened on the sides adjacent to the drum 34. The bore of the outer end of Ahub 58 may be decreased as indicated at 59 to prevent putting the hub onto boss 56 wrong end rst.

With the above described structure in mind it..

will be appreciated that any vertical movement.

of float 24 will rotate arms 66 and 62 around hubl 56; and sincey the arms serve as armatures for.I

magnets 56, the magnets, being freely rotatablef on shaft' 40, will always preserve their positions; opposite their armatures, even though headS is between theA` magnets and armatures.

Drum 34 has an internally threaded, laterally extending neck 'lil (Figs. 2, 3) which serves to clamp the drum to the tank wall, in cooperation with an externally threaded sleeve l2 on which is a nut 14. A washer 'l5 forms a fluid-tight seal with the wall of tank 20.

Indicator 32 is mounted on the outer end of sleeve 'l2 by means of a threaded ange 18. An indicator-actuating rod 8i! passes substantially axially through the sleeve 'l2 and serves to connect crank pin 82 (Fig. 6) which is rigid with the hub 48 (Figs. 3 and 6), through this rod 80 and a coupling 84 to arm 86. 'I'he arm 86 is rigidly Welds 64 and 66 attach the Y connected to one end of a lever 88, which is pivoted at 90 and carries on its free end an arcuate rack 96 engaging a pinion 98 which rotates pointer 28 to indicate the tank contents on chart 30. A bellows in well known manner seals the indicator proper from the other chambers of the unit.

The magnets and other .parts rotatable on shaft 40 are supported, as illustrated, by stationary ver-Y tical bars |06, |08 which are at right angles to the mean position of the magnet-supporting bars.

50, and are flxedly located by discs .l 02.in circumferential grooves |04 in drum 34. Bars |06, |08" are rigidly interconnected by;crossfbars-3l'l0fand': ||2 which carry rubber bumperszal'lland: ||6= respectively to cushion the magnets f should oc.V

casion require. Y

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specic embodiment hereinxillustrated and described butfdnay be used in other ways without departure -fromits spirit as defined by the following claims,

I claim:

1., Apparatus for indicating the level of 'liquid' in atank, comprisinga housing totally'closedr to the'interior of the tank and havinguat least one Wall exposed to the tank interior, rotatable means located wholly within said housingand mounted for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to said wall, an indicator, means controlled by said rotatable means for operating said indicator, a-stationarypintle stud rigid .withzsaid wall and outside said housing and projecting therefrom into the interior of said tank in adi,-

rection substantially in prolongation oli said axis,`

a second rotatable means` carrying, a oat and mountedfor free rotation `o n said.,stud.and bef ing ffreely slidable for removal from said. stud,

a magnetv carried by, atleast one of said rotatable means and having its, poles eccentricof saidsaxis, 4

magnetic means carried bythe other. :of saidiro.

tatable .means and` cooperable withfsaidimagnet to transmit rotatingforce 'from said'secondfrotatable` means. which .,is; actuated byfsaidrfloat, to

controlv the position of said indicator, themagnetic attraction.' between .said rotatable .means constituting the sola means. effective to prevent said Asecond rotatablesmeans moving axially olf'l said; stud;`

2. Apparatus for indicating the level of liquid in accordance with claim 1, wherein said magnet is carried by the rst named rotatable means within said housing and comprises at least one permanent magnet, and wherein said magnetic means is carried by the second named rotatable means and comprises at least one body of magneticfmaterial adapted 'to lbe attracted by said permanentmagnet. f

3. Apparatus for indicating the level of liquid inzaccordance with claim l, wherein said magnet iscarriedby the first named rotatable means within said housing and comprises a pair of horseeshoe magnets mounted on said rst named rotatable 'means at points spaced from said axis, at `-about around said axis from each other, and with their poles directed toward but spaced from said wall'j wherein said magnetic means is carriedzby said second rotatable means which carries said float and comprises a pair of similar bodies of .magnetic iron disposed about said axis in anl arrangement similar to that of said horseshoe'magnets 4andspaced from said wall; and wherein said second rotatable means includes a hub mounted Vfor free sliding movement on said stud and having a portion at its outer end provided with an aperture smaller in diameter than.r

the diameter of said stud and serving to prevent saidihubimoving more than a predetermined distance on said stud toward said wall.

CLARENCE A. DE GIERS.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowlng'references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED vSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 27,498 Hoyt Mar. 13, 1860 593,571 Fay Nov. 16,l 1897 903,212 Martin Nov. l0, 19,08 1,945,736 De Giers Feb. 6, 1934 2,182,469 Davis Dec. 5, 1939 2,311,387 Hastings Feb. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS- Number Country Date 315,989" Great Britain July 25,l 1929 140,326' Great Britain Mar. 25,1920

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,562,529 July 31, 1951 CLARENCE A. DE GIERS It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 1, line 3, before the Words in the tank insert for the puf/'pose of indicating the amount of Zz'gm'a and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oice. Signed and sealed this 13th day of November, A. D. 1951.

[SEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Cowwnz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

